More South China Sea Photos - Crash Landing
Nov 20, 2019 13:28:42 #
If you'll notice in the first photo, the F-8 Crusader has no port side landing gear. They raised the arresting net and snagged him in what was basically a belly-flop landing. No injuries, only a slightly damaged airplane.
On the control arm of the video camera in the greenhouse, there was a "red button," that was to be pressed in the event of an emergency of some sort or other during arrested landings. It was connected to a still camera that shot 3 FPS, IIRC. These photos came from that camera.
On the control arm of the video camera in the greenhouse, there was a "red button," that was to be pressed in the event of an emergency of some sort or other during arrested landings. It was connected to a still camera that shot 3 FPS, IIRC. These photos came from that camera.
Nov 20, 2019 13:38:17 #
Nov 20, 2019 13:58:01 #
Nov 20, 2019 16:03:58 #
kmpankopf
Loc: Mid-Michigan; SW Pennsylvania
Wow. Love seeing older shots like that. Thanks for sharing.
Nov 20, 2019 18:24:00 #
It will make you pucker up even more when you realize that the stall speed of an F-8 Crusader is 157 MPH! Imagine that.... coming in on only two wheels, going 157 MPH and you're going to belly-flop on a pitching, rolling ship's deck that's moving away from you at a 14 degree angle DIFFERENT than what YOU'RE traveling! Those pilots had my utmost respect. That's more courage than I can comprehend and it's magnified many times over when you witness it first hand!
That young man who crash landed this plane was aboard another one the very next day, once again getting launched off the deck and fly into the most heavily defended air space on the planet. On our last cruise, we lost 7 pilots and several deck hands.
I was flown to Clark AFB in the Philippines aboard a C-141 loaded with caskets. That was a heck of a way to say "Welcome to Vietnam!"
That young man who crash landed this plane was aboard another one the very next day, once again getting launched off the deck and fly into the most heavily defended air space on the planet. On our last cruise, we lost 7 pilots and several deck hands.
I was flown to Clark AFB in the Philippines aboard a C-141 loaded with caskets. That was a heck of a way to say "Welcome to Vietnam!"
Nov 20, 2019 20:31:31 #
Wow, that's a couple years earlier than I was in the action. That's an unusual barricade trap in my experience. I have never know a plane to return to the carrier in good shape or not with armament still aboard. Usual operating procedures are to expend or splash all armaments on board before returning to the ship.
And speaking of courage, they did that AT NIGHT too! I used to work on the flight deck and night ops was a scary place and time!
And speaking of courage, they did that AT NIGHT too! I used to work on the flight deck and night ops was a scary place and time!
Nov 20, 2019 20:42:18 #
Retired CPO wrote:
Wow, that's a couple years earlier than I was in the action. That's an unusual barricade trap in my experience. I have never know a plane to return to the carrier in good shape or not with armament still aboard. Usual operating procedures are to expend or splash all armaments on board before returning to the ship.
And speaking of courage, they did that AT NIGHT too! I used to work on the flight deck and night ops was a scary place and time!
And speaking of courage, they did that AT NIGHT too! I used to work on the flight deck and night ops was a scary place and time!
I would imagine there was some malfunction that prevented the pilot from firing the A2A missile. Otherwise, they would have jettisoned it. That's pretty much SOP. I've seen them land with a "hung bomb" or "hung rocket," only to have it go skittering across the deck. That's something you do NOT want to go wrong! All sorts of ugly things can happen!
Nov 20, 2019 21:53:18 #
Usually they sent "problem" birds to the beach if it wasn't blue water ops. I did see an A-7 bounce a bomb off a belly rack just at the start of the CAT stroke. It went tumbling down the deck and caught in the deckside nets. There were probably 40 people on the deck handling the launch. In a split second the deck was deserted with the F-14 next up sitting up there all alone and the crew sitting in the cockpit going Ape-sh*t. A bunch of us pushed the F-14 back while the Ordnance crew went forward to figure out what to do next. Good times in the South China Sea.
Nov 21, 2019 07:32:36 #
Nov 21, 2019 09:52:24 #
Nov 21, 2019 10:12:26 #
Dewman wrote:
If you'll notice in the first photo, the F-8 Crusa... (show quote)
That's incredible images of that rescue . I had never seen this maneuver before this posting. Thank you for a lesson in history and how it was done.
Nov 21, 2019 10:47:07 #
Nov 21, 2019 12:20:32 #
Nov 21, 2019 12:26:54 #
Tdearing
Loc: Rockport, TX
Great series from a very dangerous time. My father, (Ret. Capt) was an F8 pilot off the Kitty Hawk. He did 3 combat tours during Viet Nam, and the number of men lost was was horrific. They were/are a dedicated and special breed of Americans.
Nov 21, 2019 13:20:41 #
Tdearing wrote:
Great series from a very dangerous time. My father, (Ret. Capt) was an F8 pilot off the Kitty Hawk. He did 3 combat tours during Viet Nam, and the number of men lost was was horrific. They were/are a dedicated and special breed of Americans.
The men who flew those planes were some of the bravest men I've ever known. No one can appreciate what they do until you've stood beneath the wing, while the engine is wound up to full power, then watch them get literally shot off the deck at over 150 MPH in less than 4 seconds! And they would do this day in, day out, night and day. Night ops were scary as hell! I can't begin to imagine what THAT was like for a pilot.
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